


The Force Demands A Haircut

by WhoWroteThis



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Armitage is an ass, Business Man Kylo Ren, F/M, Hair Kink, Hair Stylist Rey, Hair-pulling, Hairstylist Finn, Head Massage, One Shot, Rey has magic fingers, Snoke Being a Dick, The Haircut AU someone may have asked for at some point, Unintentional ASMR, haircut, possibly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 04:23:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17842394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoWroteThis/pseuds/WhoWroteThis
Summary: Kylo Ren has only ever trusted one person to cut his hair, but when he meets Rey; he may change that to two.





	The Force Demands A Haircut

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't seen a haircut AU yet but I'm sure there is. Anyway, here's mine, inspired when I went to get my own hair cut and just because it needs to be done.

 

Kylo Ren is an impressive man. The tailored suit clinging to his broad frame speaks to his wealth and position but the permanent, hardened expression gracing his strong features broadcasts loud and clear that he is not to be crossed.

Standing in front of the men seated around the extended table, high-back rolling chairs facing him and the screen behind him, everything about Kylo is composed.

Everything _except_ for the strands of hair that keep falling into his face.

He rakes a massive hand through them once more, mentally growling at them to stay put. He flows through another slide of his presentation but when he gestures for emphasis, his too-long bangs fall forward once again.

This time, he does bare his teeth and doesn’t realize his slip-up until the flame-haired bastard sitting at the other end of the table smirks.

“Something the matter, Ren?” He snarks in that ridiculous British accent of his.

“Not at all, Hux,” Kylo replies through clenched teeth, choosing to continue his thoughts. “In fact, utilizing plasma will--”

“Because the other board members and I can find someone else if you can’t _cut it_ as the face of this project. We wouldn’t want to end up in a _hairy situation_ when we roll it out to the Department of State,” Hux says, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The other men around the table try to hide their amusement. Kylo silently seethes for a moment before he loosens his jaw, eyes falling on the only person remaining stone faced. His pastel-blue eyes catch Ren’s and level him with an unimpressed look. Kylo brings his shoulders back and speaks as evenly as he can.

“If you’re quite done, _General_ ,” his resounding baritone managing to draw the room’s attention back to his words. “Plasma will allow our labs to…”

The rest of his presentation is as crisp as it is uninterrupted. At the end, he receives a smattering of compliments and firm handshakes from the board of directors with the exception of one pasty Brit’s. When the room is nearly cleared, a cold hand grips his shoulder.

“Well done, my boy,” President Snoke speaks in that scratchy voice of his.

“Thank you, sir,” Kylo responds, forced to look up a few inches at the thin man despite his own impressive height. The man studies him for a moment, overhead lights illuminating the puckered skin of his poorly-healed war wounds.

The one on his cheek twists when he gives Kylo a gut-curling grin. “You wonder why I keep a rabid cur in a place of power.”

It’s a statement, not one Kylo is supposed to confirm or deny.

Snoke removes his hand. “He is useful. More ambitious than his military days and just as vicious. It’s what this company needs.”

Kylo nods once, keeping his lips sealed.

“As are you, Kylo Ren,” Snoke declares. “When I hired you, I saw what all mentors long to see. Endless possibilities and power at your fingertips. Despite the protests of others, I invested in you. You were nothing when I found you and you are nothing without me.”

Snoke had gradually leaned closer to Kylo but now he pauses before smoothly stepping around his protégé. Pausing at the doorway, he turns to pin Kylo with a loaded gaze. “Keep that in mind next time you decide to be an unkempt embarrassment, yes?”

It’s all Kylo can do to release a rumbling whisper of “yes, sir” before his boss is gone and he’s left alone.

The breath that had been caught in his chest suddenly rushes out and with it, his hair sweeps down into his eyes. Said eyes close in defeat and frustration, hand already rifling through his pocket for a moment before pulling out his cell phone.

He swipes it open and finds the number in his contacts. After a moment of ringing, a woman answers in a smooth lilt.

“I’m guessing you need something. Desperately.”

Kylo huffs a laugh before he can stop himself. “A seat. 6 o’clock tonight.”

“Hmph,” is the confirmation he gets. “We’ll see.”

Then she hangs up and Kylo tucks away his phone, corners of his mouth drawing up.

A few clicks and the presentation shuts down. Laptop and papers stored in his case, he leaves the room, shutting off the lights as he does.

***

Hours later, Kylo loosens his tie, pleased to finally be done with Hux and away from Snoke’s omnipresent eyes for the day. He knows he’s driving a tad too fast – the dashboard of his Silencer says _20 km/h_ too fast – but he’s not concerned. Cops rarely stop speeders in the questionable neighborhood Maz’s Castle is sequestered to; they have their hands full otherwise.

He pulls into the parking lot, quieting the purring vehicle when he swerves into a spot in front of the liquor store next to Maz’s. He decides to remove his tie completely and tosses it into the passenger seat before he close the door and beeps the lock behind him.

He opens the door to Maz’s and steps in only to nearly stumble back when someone cries out, “BEN SOLOOOOO.”

Kylo cringes and tries to give the small woman rushing towards him a stern look. “ _Maz_.”

“I will call you what I please, Benjamin,” Maz bats away his protest deftly, stopping a few feet away from him, appraising him through bottle-cap glasses that make her eyes seem four times bigger than they are. “You look stressed.”

Kylo shrugs, uncomfortable with her keen eyes scanning him. “Work.”

“Hmph. Your father was in here the other day. Mentioned you two haven’t spoken in a few weeks.”

Kylo’s mouth draws into a thin line. “Been busy.”

“Mmmhm. And your mother?”

Kylo relaxes infinitesimally. “She’s fine. We’re meeting for lunch tomorrow.”

Maz nods, satisfied. Matter dropped, she turns, motioning for him to follow. “Well. Let’s get to it then. I have Rey helping you today.”

Kylo stops. “Not you?”

“Oh no,” she grins, expression far from apologetic. “I have work to do.”

Kylo frowns heavily, trying not to sound petulant. “But you always cut my hair.”

“And today I am not. Now come, be a big boy and sit down,” she orders, patting one of the six swiveling chairs spaced out around the shop.

“Yeah, but Maz, I don’t want some random man butchering my hair.”

“Nonsense! Rey is fantastic. She’s very talented,” Maz insists before calling over her shoulder, “Rey!”

“She?” Kylo squawks before his gaze is drawn up when a young woman exits the backroom.

Time and space are suddenly sucked into a vacuum, leaving nothing to Kylo’s perception but the vision walking towards them.

Loose strands of chestnut hair, escaped from the three buns stacked on the back of her head, frame a youthful but classy face. Soft lips spread in a dazzling smile that reaches up to her hazel eyes and freckles – _fucking adorable freckles_ – sprinkle across her button nose.

Her white t-shirt and jeans are concealed in part by her apron, but he is completely enthralled by the light seeming to radiate from her entire being to absorb much else.

“Hi!” She greets with a small wave. “Ben, right?”

He nods dumbly, realizing she has a British accent, except it’s _nothing_ like Hux’s. Three sweet and melodious words and he’s already desperate to hear more.

“Um, yes. And you’re… Rey?”

“Yup!” she replies cheerfully.

Her smile falters slightly when he simply continues to take her in, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

Maz looks back and forth between them until she finally nods with something that eludes the other two. “Welp. I’ll leave you to it.”

They watch her waddle away on stiff joints to the office until she shuts herself in, leaving them alone with the quiet peppy music he just now realizes is playing through the speakers.

“Um, so!” Rey finally says after a few moments of them simply looking at eachother. She backs up a step and puts her hand on the back of the chair. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me what cut you’re after.”

He nods, all too aware of how his massive frame looks ridiculous squeezing into the chair. He refuses to see if she’s laughing at him, keeping his eyes on his knees even when they disappear under the smock she swings around him. She snaps it closed over a loop of gauze she ties around his neck and he thinks he feels her caress his shoulders for a second until her hands are in his hair.

“You have a very unique hairstyle,” Rey says, picking at strands and moving them back and forth.

He’s not sure if it’s a compliment or not. “Thank you?”

Rey brightens, seeming to pick up on his internal debate. “I mean that in a good way! Not many men can pull off this layered look. It fits your features very nicely. In my opinion.”

 _There’s that blush again_.

“Oh. Thank you then,” he responds with more confidence, clearing his thoughts enough to realize he needs to tell her how he wants it. “I’d like to keep it the shape it is, just shorter. More manageable.”

Rey nods. “Sounds good!”

She takes one last look-over before she reaches around him for the water sprayer, bringing her chest just inside his peripheral. His eyes are drawn for a split-second before he clears his throat and looks away, determined to burn holes into the drawers under the mirror in front of them.

Rey retreats and a moment later, he feels the chill of misty water dampening his hair as the bottle squeaks with every squeeze. She works it around his head, making sure every inch is covered. To his dismay, the action weighs down his hair, revealing the protruding ears he hates so much.

Rey doesn’t seem to mind though, as he glances a look up at her reflection; her brow is furrowed and her lips pursed lightly as she focuses on directing the water.

She replaces the bottle when she’s done and starts digging her fingers into his hair, pulling back a layer and restraining it with a clip she pulls from her apron pocket. He almost snorts at the sight of him practically with a man-bun before his eyes fall back on to her.

He should say something, right? That’s what people usually do when getting their haircut, or atleast he thinks it is. Ben’s time in the chair is half getting his hair cut off and half getting his ears talked off by Maz.

No, surely it’s like talking to a bartender. It’s polite. The interaction _does_ put them in an oddly intimate position…

“So,” he starts awkwardly. She looks up briefly, open expression showing she’s listening, before turning back and starts snipping away with scissors. “You’re a stylist.”

Dimples form in her cheeks. “Last time I checked!”

Promising so far. “Do you like it?”

“I do! I enjoy fixing people up and helping them feel confident. The Castle and Maz are wonderful too.” Rey nods to herself before she winks at him. “Could do without some of the clientele though.”

 _She just fucking winked at him!_ “Yeah. Maz has always attracted a rough crowd.”

Rey chuckles, head naturally tilting back in a way that tugs at his heartstrings.

Once she’s composed herself, he presses again, eager to hear her laugh more. “Did you always know you wanted to cut the hair of society’s scoundrels?”

His quip earns him a wave of giggles. “Oh no, I used to serve the scoundrels a bit differently.” Her smile falls slightly but her hands don’t stop their motions. “I’ve always been good with my hands. Used to fix things. Eventually I decided I wanted to fix things less gritty so when the offer to go to beauty school popped up, I took it. And now I’m here!”

“Oh.” Is all he can say. He’s unsure how to respond, not expecting to find the concealed pain in her voice as she mentions her past. He decides not to push, instead chewing on his lip as he watches her.

She exhales a bit too harshly, giving him a smile that is more forced than her others. “And you?” she asks. “What do you do?”

“Business. Mostly,” is all he’s willing to supply. People always have mixed reactions when finding out about his position at The First Order. He doesn’t want to risk her being disgusted by him.

She seems to pick up on his reluctance to share and cocks an eyebrow at him.

“Oh? Big wig, huh?”

He can’t help himself, gesturing to his hair with a raised eyebrow of his own.

“Nope, no wig. 100% real hair on this head.”

The laugh that bursts from Rey has him smiling far too wide.

“Oh I believe it. A wig would never look this good.”

She removes the clip and her hands are suddenly back, gently scratching his scalp as she works her way from front to back. The movement sends tingles down his neck and spine, prickling all the way down to his toes. He shivers, eyes falling to half-mast, feeling his thoughts dull as a fog settles over his mind. _What is she doing to him?_

The next moment, he feels Rey’s fingers go from caressing to tugging and Ben’s sure he’s going to melt through the floor. A low groan echoes from his chest before he realizes it was stirring and his breath instantly hitches, eyes flying wide.

Rey stiffens as well, withdrawing her hands quickly, fingers curling in as she gasps down at him apologetically. “I’m so sorry! Did that hurt?”

“No, no,” Ben reassures her, voice too gruff. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Sorry.”

Rey creeps back, putting her thin fingers back in his hair, carding through the strands cautiously.

“Good. Tell me if I do. But…” she gives him a sheepish grin in the mirror that makes him swallow hard. “Your hair is so beautiful; I’ve never felt anyone’s like it.”

Ben suddenly feels too hot for the air conditioned salon, sure that the tips of his ears are now bright red.

“I don’t mind it,” he mumbles. _Don’t stop_ is what he really wants to say.

Rey’s smile widens and she goes back to her ministrations, trying to hide her eagerness.

Her finger tips brush his ears, giving him shivers all over again and another sort of tingling that has him clasping his hands in his lap.

He clears his throat again, desperate for a distraction. “How long have you worked here with Maz?”

“Only a few weeks. Finn and I got hired together, it made things easier since our apartment’s close by.”

All at once, his developing sense of peace vanishes, leaving him tense. “You live together?”

If she notices his sudden coldness, she doesn’t think anything of it. “Yup! I live with him and his girlfriend, Rose.”

Kylo defrosts. “Oh. You live with your friends.”

“Yeah, I ran into Finn totally by accident a couple years ago when he was chasing after his friend’s dog. We got BB home to Poe and Finn and I became instant friends. He’s the one who suggested I pursue beauty school.”

“Oh,” Kylo smiles softly, finding he doesn’t hate this _Finn_ so much anymore. “I’m glad it all worked out.”

Rey returns his smile. “Me too.”

She goes back to snipping, this time near his ears. The _csh csh csh_ sound is somehow relaxing and he feels himself going numb again, eyes falling closed.

The scissors move lower; working to even out the ends. The cold of the metal brushes his neck and he feels goosebumps erupt all over. He shivers or trembles, he’s not sure, and inhales deeply to make sure he’s still capable of breathing.

Rey works over the rest of his hair and somewhere in his muddled thoughts is the desire to taste the fruity tint ghosting by him every time she puffs a small breath of air through her mouth.

He feels Rey shift again and this time, she’s pulling up smaller strands of his hair. He opens his eyes and watches her cut the ends with a tool that reminds him of a small cheese grater.

She notices him watching as she holds more hair between two fingers. “I’m using this to add texture.”

He rasps a rumbling acknowledgement. She could give him a Mohawk and he’d be grateful.

Rey continues until she’s satisfied then runs her fingers through his hair, ruffling slightly to shake cut hairs loose.

“You mind if I style it?” she asks, one hand already reaching for her products below the mirror.

Ben nods without hesitation. “By all means.”

He watches her smile, pleased, and pick out which mousse she wants. She shakes up the bottle first before squirting the bubbly, white foam into her hand. Bottle set aside, she moves behind him again, hands rubbing together to slather the foam in every cranny before she’s in his hair again. Starting from the roots near his forehead and moving back, she works the foam in, taking care not to get any on his ears.

When she gets to the base, she moves back up, fingers stretching out so her pinkies are practically massaging his temples as her thumbs rub on either side of his spine and Ben loses all sense of himself. His head falls back when her thumbs press in and only when he feels her hands readjust does he open his eyes and realize the position he’s put himself in.

Back of his head resting on the cushioned seat, his crown is practically pressed against her sternum because _she hasn’t moved back_ and is instead looking down at him with pleased amusement.

“You doing alright there?” she murmurs, eyes flitting from one feature on his face to another, tracing the beauty marks dotted across his pale skin. Absentmindedly, her thumbs reposition so that they are pressing gentle circles into his temples, the tips of her other fingers gently scratching near his neckline.

“Mhmm,” he murmurs, smiling up at her dreamily.

Rey’s eyes fly to his lips. She clears her throat a little.

“I should… Um, I should finish. Before your hair gets too dry.”

Ben’s senses drift back and he realizes he’s probably made her incredibly uncomfortable. He hastens to sit up, readjusting and coughing harshly. “Right. Sorry.”

“It’s ok,” Rey assures, but her expression is bridled with undecipherable emotions.

She goes back to fingering through his hair, adjusting and scrunching as she goes. Eventually she stands back and grabs a hand-held mirror, holding it up behind his head so he can see.

“Alright! What do you think?” _Is that worry making her words wobble?_

He tilts and turns his head, growing increasingly surprised by the second. It’s… _perfect_. The layers lie just right, his bangs exactly as they should be and the texturing thing she did makes it all come together better than he could have imagined.

She’s biting her lip, waiting for his sentence when he finally meets her eyes. He swallows hard before looking at her with awe.

“It’s amazing.”

She instantly perks up, holding the mirror close to her chest. “Really?”

“Yes,” he laughs, almost touching it in amazement but stopping himself. “This is better than anything Maz has done.”

A laugh bursts out of Rey before she covers her mouth and glances at the door to Maz’s office, stricken that the woman may have heard. But the door is closed and Rey looks back at Ben, eyes twinkling. She lowers her hand.

“I won’t tell her you said that,” she teases.

“That might be best. She wouldn’t take my treachery lightly.” Ben jokes back, please that it makes her chuckle.

She sets the mirror down and starts walking towards the register. “Shall I ring you up?”

Ben stands as well before the flowing fabric around his legs reminds him that he still has the smock on.

“Um, should I take this off first?”

Rey frowns back at him before gasping and rushing back, embarrassed. “Right, yes, sorry, forgot to…”

She’s suddenly right in front of him and reaching up to unclasp it but it becomes immediately apparent that even though she’s tall for a woman, he’s a _freaking tree._ Rather than undoing it himself though, Ben lowers his neck -- basically bowing to her -- so that she can reach. The action brings him _so close_ to her, he could nuzzle against her temple like this, the aroma of floral shampoo already driving him wild. Or he could lean down a little further and…

The pressure around his neck lessens and he realizes that she’s already untied the gauze and unclasped the smock without him realizing. Her hand holding them lowers but her other brushes his neck and shoulders gently, shooing the pesky few hairs that managed to bypass the smock.

Seemingly satisfied, her hand comes to a stop, simply resting on his collar bone. Her eyes drag up to his and Ben for the first time notices tiny flecks of gold in her iris. Rey looks back and forth between his eyes as well, drinking him in as much as he is her.

“Thank you,” his husky whisper finally breaks their silence.

Rey swallows and nods once before blinking rapidly and stepping away. Ben misses her warmth immediately.

She folds her arms, gripping her biceps as she walks to the register and presses a few buttons on the computer.

“So, uh, that’s gonna be twelve dollars, please.”

Ben walks towards her on leaden feet, stopping on the other side of the counter and pulls his wallet out of his pocket. He hands her his card and when her warm fingers accidently touch his, he may or may not feel a zing run up his arm.

Rey is efficient and returns his card quickly. It may be his imagination, but he thinks she holds on just a moment too long, brushing her thumb over his before she lets go.

She hands him his receipt and a pen that’s seen better days, politely looking back at her computer while he writes her a tip _way_ over 20% that he hopes she isn’t offended by. He hands them back to her after copying the amount on to his own receipt, tucking it and his wallet back into his pocket.

“So,” he states, shifting on his feet when he realizes that this is the end of their exchange. “I’ll probably be back….at some point….’cause it’ll all grow back…probably.”

He immediately cringes but Rey merely smiles in that cheerful way she does. “Probably.”

Ben huffs a laugh, still stammering over his next words. “I’ll, uh, I’ll ask Maz if you…next time…if that’s…alright?”

Rey seems to decipher his meaning though and smiles even wider, nodding despite the flattering pink back on her cheeks.

“I’ll be here.”

Ben nods. They look at eachother for another long moment and he hopes he’s not the only one who can feel the air crackling between them.

A particularly loud start to a song overhead startles them both and Ben finally starts moving towards the door.

“Well…Thank you again,” he says, earnestly.

“My pleasure,” she replies, tracking him. “Have a good night. Ben.”

Ben pauses, hand on the door. “You too. Goodbye, Rey.”

She raises a hand in a farewell, mouthing a bye that she can’t quite vocalize. Ben smiles one more time before opening the door and stepping out into the chilly dusk.

***

Rey turns and grabs the broom, sweeping up Ben’s hair with a tinge of regret. A breeze and the door chime herald a new arrival. Rey turns to greet them when she finds Finn rushing through only to turn and yank the door, white-knuckled grip holding it closed.

“Finn? I thought you had the day off?” Rey questions.

His wide-gaze whirls on to her.

“Please tell me that’s not who I think it is?”

“Who?”

“Kylo Ren!” Finn whispers frantically.

Rey is nonplussed. “I don't know who... Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Because he’s the Devil!” He turns around in time to stumble back from door. “Oh shit, he’s leaving. Don’t look!”

More confused than ever, Rey ignores his warning and watches as Ben drives past The Castle to the parking lot exit, immaculate Silencer convertible gleaming in the sunset lighting.

“You mean Ben?”

A voice breaks out from behind them before Finn can reply. “Did that boy leave already?”

They turn to see Maz exiting her office, sounding only mildly annoyed.

“Just did,” Rey replies, casting Finn another curious glance before going back to sweeping.

“How rude,” Maz says, something mischievous brewing in her expression. “Though I can’t blame him. He’s never much of a talker. Thank you for stepping in, Rey.”

Rey merely shrugs but Finn frowns at her. “Wait wait wait wait, _you_ cut his hair, Rey?”

“Yeah? So?”

“So?!” Finn cries. “How are you still sane? Why aren’t you crying?”

Rey fumbles, gaping at him. “What are you going on about?”

Finn gapes right back, floundering at her state. “There are horror stories about Kylo Ren, Rey. I used to work at The First Order, all of us were terrified of him!”

“The First Order? Isn’t that that weapons technology company?”

“Yes. They’re the military’s primary weapons contractor.”

Rey’s brow crumples, deep in thought. “You worked for them?”

Finn hesitates, averting his panicked gaze. “That… I didn’t have a choice. But I got out of there as soon as I could and then I met you and I’ve never looked back!”

“But…” Rey chews her bottom lip. “He was nice. Funny even.”

Finn shakes his head furiously. “He’s a monster, Rey.”

Maz cuts in, tone suddenly cold. “Finn, I have been cutting that boy’s hair since he was a toddler and his father’s long before that. He is brash and yes, an asshole, but never a monster. I don’t want to hear another word otherwise.”

Finn exhales harshly, not quite quelled but unwilling to argue with Maz. The old woman senses this and softens.

“Now. Since you’re here, you can help Rey close up. Rey, please finish sweeping and Finn, restock. Chop chop kiddos!”

She chuckles at her own pun before disappearing back into her office. Rey and Finn move about, both of them weighed down with their thoughts.

A few minutes pass before Finn checks over his shoulder to make sure Maz can’t hear before he turns to Rey, speaking low.

“I didn’t mean to get in your face, Peanut,” sincerity clear despite his teasing nickname for her. “I came to hang out with you since Rose is out and he was the _absolute last_ person I expected to see. I was taken by surprise. And I was concerned for you.”

“I appreciate that Finn. Really. But you have nothing to worry about. He was quite the gentlemen.”

Finn studies her for a moment before sighing and raising his eyebrows, going back to stocking. “Then your magic hands must have had quite the effect on him, Peanut.”

She snorts softly and crouches down to gather Ben’s hair and some dirt into the dust pan. She stares at it a moment too long before she dumps it in the bin.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you think I should continue this. I have a couple more chapters planned in my mind, even some smut if you'd like.  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
